Tigers coast past Columbia in final dual meet

The men's swimming and diving team (9-1 overall, 6-1 Eastern Intercollegiate Swimming League) conquered Columbia (6-5, 4-4), 140-98, in its final dual meet of the season Friday, dominating the Lions as expected.

"They were third at Easterns last year," junior Will Reinhardt said, "but we weren't that worried."

Reinhardt anchored the 200 medley relay, the first event of the meet, for Princeton's victory. As they have in most of the season, the Tigers stacked the initial relay with four of their most dominant swimmers to gain an early edge. Sophomore Mike Zee, who later won the 200 backstroke, led off the relay.

Princeton failed to place first in just two events, but two of the team's wins were designated as exhibitions to grant Columbia more points and prevent the Tigers from running up the score.

Senior Greg Glass won one of those events, the 200 breaststroke, in his last meet as a Tiger.

Though Glass had the fastest time in the event, his points were not tallied in a meet at which sportsmanship and friendship were valued almost above the actual results.

Freestyle was Princeton's strongest event as usual, as the team racked up dominating wins in both the sprints and distances. Reinhardt dominated the 50 free, and freshman Ryan Dvorak won the 1,000 free.

For Reinhardt, who says the 50 is his best event, it was his last chance to tune up before he defends his 50 and 100 free EISL titles in March.

In other freestyle action, sophomore Ryan McCabe won the 100 free and senior cocaptain Justin Chiles won the 200 and 500 free races.

Sophomore Kent DeMond won the 1-meter diving event by more than thirty points with a reverse 1 1/2 pike and an inward 1 1/2 pike. DeMond was also second in the 3-meter diving.

"This was my best meet of the season," DeMond said. "I seem to do better when I am having fun, and Columbia is always a good meet because they have a really friendly team."

For the first time this season, DeMond and his fellow divers were not merely limited to displaying their skill on the diving board. Princeton's divers also defeated Columbia's diving squad in an exhibition 200 free relay.

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Princeton ended the meet the way it started, with a winning relay and Reinhart in the pool. Anchored by senior Scott Bynum, also a winner in his final race, the Tigers captured the 400 free relay, though it was another win not added to the score. Senior Geoff Patterson and freshman Michael Baity also swam for the relay.

The meet against Columbia marked the end of the season for many of the Tigers, as only the top seventeen swimmers and three divers will travel to the EISL championships in March.